The present invention is directed, in general, to an optoelectronic device and, more specifically, to an optoelectronic device having a barrier layer associated therewith and a method of manufacture thereof.
Optoelectronic industries, in general, have traditionally focused on hybrid integration of optoelectronic devices. For example, in many traditional optoelectronic systems, multiple optoelectronic devices are manufactured on individual optoelectronic substrates, all of which are subsequently connected by optical fibers. In many of those optoelectronic systems, it is common for a number of active devices, such as lasers, modulators, amplifiers, etc., to be optically coupled to various other passive devices, such as beam expanders and optical splitters, through the use of the previously mentioned optical fibers.
While hybrid integration of the active and passive devices was sufficient for many of the traditional telecommunication devices, present day telecommunication devices are not so forgiving. For example, telecommunication devices which employ hybrid integration are presently unable to reliably provide the increased bandwidth required in today""s ultra-competitive markets. Specifically, hybrid integration may experience poor optical coupling between the optical devices and the optical fiber, poor mechanical stability of the circuit, high cost, and low performance.
In an attempt to avoid some of the problems associated with hybrid integration, the current trend in the optoelectronic industry is to manufacture multiple optical devices on a single optical substrate. Manufacturing multiple optical devices on a single optical substrate, or so-called monolithic integration, is one solution to the problems discussed above. Unfortunately, however, monolithic integration has its own problems.
For example, in the monolithic integration of an active device and a passive device, an indium phosphide (InP) layer is required over both devices. In the passive region, the indium phosphide (InP) layer helps confine the mode of the passive region. In the active region, the indium phosphide (InP) layer forms the P of the PIN structure. This occurs, however, only if the indium phosphide (InP) layer is doped with a P-type dopant, such as zinc.
A problem arises in that the P-type dopant is located in the entire indium phosphide (InP) layer, including over the passive region. It has been observed, in the past, that if the P-type dopant is located in the indium phosphide (InP) layer over the passive region, the passive region experiences high amounts of optical loss caused by carrier absorption.
The optoelectronic industry has attempted to curtail the carrier absorption in the passive region by implanting atomic hydrogen, or an isotope thereof, within the region of indium phosphide (InP) layer located over the passive region. Unfortunately, however, the hydrogen is not thermally stable and starts diffusing out of the indium phosphide (InP) layer at high temperatures. It is presently a concern that this out diffusion may cause reliability issues in the device.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an optoelectronic device, and more specifically, a monolithically integrated optoelectronic device, that does not experience the problems set out above.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an optoelectronic device, a method of manufacture thereof, and an optical communication system including the same. The optoelectronic device may include an active device located over a substrate and a passive device located proximate the active device and over the substrate. The optoelectronic device may further include a doped cladding layer located over the active and passive devices and a barrier layer located over the doped cladding layer and the passive device.
The foregoing has outlined preferred and alternative features of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.